teen movies that are not teen movies/Character driven comedies

[soleft]

hey film buffs, I'm trying to make a list of movies that deal with young people that are a caliber above - several calibers above "teen" movies.

Like - Billy Elliot (ok, he's an adolescent
Virgin Suicides
Almost Famous
Thirteen, etc. etc.

Please add your faves to the list.

And if teen movies aren't your scene - then let me ask - if you hear the words "character Driven comedy" - what comes to mind?

Thanks.

[BurtWorm]

1. Kids!

Not at all for kids!

[Dogmudgeon]

2. Ghost World

Dazed and Confused.

Final Destination.

Christiane F.

--bkl

[NuckinFutz]

3. Freak the Mighty

American Beauty (I know it's mainly adult themed, but the issues with the teens are very well-depicted, too)

Swimming (Lauren Ambrose stars in it..an indie film)

Wonder Boys

The New Guy

Gilbert Grape

And I must admit that I still love the Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off

[soleft]

4. I LOVE Wonder Boys - such an overlooked film

[LynneSin]

5. Fast Times at Ridgemont High

I mean, it was beyond being a typical teen movie especially since it was based on Cameron Crowe's adventures when he re-enlisted back into HS for a year to write the book.

[VOX]

20. "Fact Times" is an all-time classic!

It's also interesting so many great actors at the beginning of their careers...

[Jim Sagle]

6. Massacre at Central High

Chilling allegory of what a society without authority descends into. Not exactly timely, though. ;-)

[NuckinFutz]

7. This will date me, but I have another one....

American Graffiti...and it's sequel

Also check out Breaking Away

[Jade Fox]

22. The sequel to "American Graffiti"....

was great! I thought it was better than the original.

[analogman]

25. The sequal was better than the original...????

You should be taken out to the woodshed and whipped for that statement! American Graffiti is an all time classic.

[Westegg]

8. "Ferris Bueller"; "Heathers"; "The Man In the Moon"...

..."Smooth Talk"; "Days of Heaven" (narrated by/seen through the eyes of, an adolecent girl) and "Badlands" (about teen killers)---both directed by Terrence Mallick; "To Sir, With Love"; "I Wanna Hold Your Hand"; "Foxes" (starring Jodie Foster AND Marilyn Kagan!); "Dazed and Confused" and "SubUrbia", both directed by Richard Linklater; "Lick the Star"---Sophia Coppola's first film---a short, but it may be her best.

I'll think of more later.

[Dogmudgeon]

9. Down and Out in Beverly Hills

It's excellent, hilarious, poignant, scandalous, all at once.

Natasha Lyonne is a major babe. Marisa Tomei has a sweet/edgy character to play. Alan Arkin plays a pathetic middle-aged loser who struggles to keep his dignity in spite of his stupidity. And Carl Reiner has a small part toward the end which is completely over-the-top.

Rent this baby when you can!

--bkl

[soleft]

12. I think that's the Slum of Beverly Hills

I saw about 20 minutes of it, looked good

[soleft]

13. I think that's the Slum of Beverly Hills

I saw about 20 minutes of it, looked good

[Dogmudgeon]

14. You're right!

Added to the lack of sleep and multi-tasking was the excitement of seeing an excellent snowfall.

The Slums of Beverly Hills. Watch the whole thing -- you won't regret it!

--bkl
Natasha, Marisa, Alan, forgive me!

[Bridget Burke]

10. "Clueless"

Somewhat based on Jane Austen's "Emma". It's silly, smart, funny & a bit touching.

[peekaloo]

11. Holes

[absyntheNsugar]

15. Donnie Darko

We all die alone.........

[Bossy Monkey]

16. Say Anything, Bend It Like Beckham

pretty much period

[Kat45]

17. "Puberty Blues," an Australian movie, early Bruce Beresford

directorial effort. The best girl's coming of age story I've even seen. The scene when the girl's period is late are priceless--I can't imagine a woman not relating to it.

[VOX]

18. Gregory's Girl.

Verrry Scottish, that one.

[Wickerman]

29. That sinking feeling and though not teen

Local Hero - terrific movie - all the same director

[Zookeeper]

19. The first "House Party"...

Clueless, Ghost World, Heathers.

[EstimatedProphet]

21. The Getting of Wisdom

Australian film of the early 80s about a teen girl in a girl's boarding school. Very good film.

[geniph]

23. Where's Bend It Like Beckham?

hmmm?

I wouldn't call Thirteen a "character-driven comedy" - I wouldn't call it any kind of comedy!

If you're including non-comedies, then I'd certainly include these:

The Secret of Roan Inish
Fly Away Home
Whale Rider
Spellbound
Oh, and I forgot the Cider House Rules and The Ice Storm

[Lydia Leftcoast]

24. "The Other Side of Sunday"

A film festival favorite from Norway that never found a distributor in the U.S.

It's about a fourteen-year-old girl in the 1950s whose father is a pastor from the fundamentalist wing of the Norwegian state church. She's not allowed to do anything that the other kids are, not even patronize cafes. As she approaches her confirmation day, her biggest fear is that she will turn into a "kirke-kjaering" (which the subtitles translate as "church hag," but it's really more like Dana Carvey's Church Lady.)

People who saw this film in Portland loved it, especially since it's so unusual to find a film about a girl (not a boy) coming of age.

It seems to be available on DVD from Amazon.

[analogman]

26. Say Anything...

Admit it, you still think of the '80s every time you hear In Your Eyes.

[soleft]

31. and that's Cameron Crowe, right?

I was watchin Vanilla Sky last night. What an impressive collection of interesting, character driven movies he's made. And he's a amazing writer, if you've ever had a chance to look at one of his scripts, the man can write.

[analogman]

27. Character driven comedy = John Cusack

[ncrainbowgrrl]

28. From my collection:

Ma Vie en Rose
But I'm a Cheerleader
Edge of Seventeen
The Basketball Diaries
Foxfire

Requiem for a Dream (don't know if this counts as 'teen'/youth)


I'm sure I'll think of more right after I hit the "post message" button

[gmoney]

30. Dazed and Confused / Empire Records

Despite all the stoner stuff in the ads, Dazed and Confused is really a great film about being true to yourself, and all the right and wrong ways of finding your identity. Nice "period piece" too. Nothing like "That 70s Show." Great cast, too.

To a lesser degree, Empire Records covers some of the same territory, but not quite as deftly. Another great cast though, and one of the great lip sync scenes ever (Rory Cochrane doing AC/DC).